Actions & Reactions
by Skye10
Summary: Standalone fic  AU I suppose . Alice and Hatter have escaped Dodo but things go differently when Alice accidentally drinks a "Hankering" Emotion Tea. The tension between Hatter and Alice erupts into something other than anger.


**Plot Summary**: More of a what if in terms of Alice getting a sip of Emotion Teas. Completely AU, taking place after Hatter & Alice escape the Dodo and then going down a different route that isn't what happened in the show. I decided to go a different route. Standalone smuttiness; curb the moral compass at the door :-P. It's another one of those Tea fics as I call them.

**Rating**: M...M for sure. Not even the normal M I do. It's a bit more M for me than normal. Really M. There's sex...and yeah, that is actually the majority of the plot. **Sex**.

_My Christmas gift to the Alice community :-) I hope you like it. It is not formally beta'd in the slightest but such is life at 2 am._

* * *

**Actions & Reactions**

She was certain that she was going to kill him, if they made it the Tea Shop without her toppling over the ledge. He was going out of his way to irritate her now, each word undermining her feelings and gnawing at her doubts. His snide remark about her relationships and relating her affection for Jack as nothing more than a liking for chocolate was really the last straw. Alice had a moment, a very evil moment, when she thought about the merits of pushing him over the edge. Then she recovered from it, remembering she needed him to help her.

She could think about pushing him over later.

Oblivious to her feelings, Hatter simply kept up his quick pace, quiet now that they had ceased their arguing. The Tea Shop was in view, a few junkies strewn across the shabby veranda, and Hatter made his way across the grass platform without a second look. Alice kept close and gave the sickly looking men a thoroughly disgusted glance. One groaned and turned over onto his back, his eyes wide and unseeing; clearly on a drug trip by her guess.

"Nice to see you provide such a good service," she drawled sarcastically. Hatter, who was just as frustrated with Alice as she was with him, whirled on his heel half-way up the stairs and took a menacing step toward her. Not to be intimidated, she stiffened her shoulders and tried her best to look equally threatening.

"Need I remind you that you're the one wantin' my help?" he pointed out angrily. Alice shrugged.

"When you aren't trying to sell me?" she asked and Hatter glared at her.

"Water under a bridge, Alice. You stick with me and at least you won't get caught by the White Rabbit again." He stepped away from her and opened the veranda door, not bothering to let her through first. So much for gentlemanly manners, Alice thought.

"Why doesn't that comfort me at all?" she whispered in response to his words as she followed him in. Hatter paused beside a group of very loud men who wanted to know about his latest shipment and new products, but Alice kept walking through the room. The crowd was just as loud as before and she winced at the headache she could feel coming on. The strange little man was still snoring away at his desk, banging a gavel occasionally in his sleep, while the trading marquee ran bright red behind him.

"You look like you need a drink," a woman suddenly declared as she appeared beside her, far too close for Alice's comfort. She jumped and saw that the small blonde woman was grinning winningly. She reminded Alice of a salesgirl you would see at a clothing shop, except for the tray of teacups and vials she was balancing expertly with one hand.

"You could say that again," Alice answered, looking behind herself for Hatter.

"You look like you need a drink," the woman repeated and when Alice gave her a bemused look her sunny smile simply broadened. Reaching up with a well-manicured hand, she handed Alice a small shot glass. "On the house to relax you a bit. Lets you look at the world a bit differently. It hasn't been selling well today, not like Forgetfulness or Guilt-Free. If you like it and want more, let me know. I'll let you have it for cheap."

Alice sniffed at the contents curiously before giving the girl a weak smile. "Thanks…I think."

"Don't mention it. Really. Boss might fire me for giving stuff away," the woman said with a wink before sashaying slowly toward another table. Alice sniffed at the glass again, smelling a mixture of cherries and strawberries, and lifted it towards her lips.

"Come on," Hatter said from behind her. His accented voice startled her and she jumped, lowering the glass and hugging it close to hide it from him. Hatter gave her a curious look as he passed her, heading towards one of the doors nearby. "You all right?"

"Just fine." Alice followed him, squeezing through the crowd as she tried to keep up. "Where are we going?"

"Dodo can threaten me all he likes but I still got some pull up here. We'll be safe for a few hours in the shop. Besides, any chance of the White Rabbit or Resistance sneaking up is gone," Hatter explained over his shoulder, pointing up at two security cameras that faced the doorway. Alice eyed them while Hatter unlocked one of the doors but she did not feel reassured by the cameras. Hatter ushered her through quickly into the dark hallway and Alice held the glass she had been given in front of her to keep it from spilling. He hustled her roughly across and knocked on the walls in rapid succession until a hollow sound echoed back at him.

"In here," he ordered as he unlocked the door and flicked on a light inside. It opened to his office and he gave Alice a gentle shove through. "I'll be right back."

She didn't have a chance to respond before he closed the door and she was left alone in the open loft of his office. The grass carpet gave off an earthy and moist smell, not quite fitting in with the art deco styling he apparently had been aiming for in his office. Alice wrinkled her nose and took a few more strides in, swilling the cherry liquid around in the glass as she took in the strange space. She didn't know what to think of the office or the way Hatter's personal effects took up the space. The array of hats and the multi-coloured jackets was rather fitting, but the sight of the paperwork and various 'Emotions' on the shelves showed the more serious side to him.

Though Alice herself wasn't exactly sure what that serious side of Hatter meant for her.

She forgot to watch her step halfway to the empty chair and her boot promptly snagged on a raised clump of grass, her heel catching in the soft soil. With an embarrassingly clumsy thud, she fell forward and landed hard on her knees, the shot-glass slipping from her fingers. Thankfully, the soft ground kept it from shattering but the liquid poured out thickly onto the grass, tainting it a red colour. Alice groaned, her knees aching from the fall, and wondered if Hatter would notice what had happened. If she were lucky, he'd be unobservant and not about to snap off her head about ruining his 'carpet'. Considering how unlucky she had been lately, though, Alice doubted that very much.

Gingerly, she picked up the glass and checked for any cracks or shattered pieces. It was still completely intact, a fact Alice was thankful for, and she moved into a crouch. There was still some of the liquid left, a small bit lingered on the rim of the glass and at the very bottom of it. Alice stared at it curiously before running her finger over the rim, gathering the thick drops. It reminded her of cough syrup and her curiosity pulled at her to find out if it was remotely like cough syrup.

"What can it hurt?" she whispered to herself as she swiped her finger along the liquid. Shrugging her shoulders, she warily brought her hand to her mouth and slid her finger along her lips.

The taste of cherries flooded her mouth when she sucked her finger totally into her mouth. The liquid in the bottom of the glass was too tempting and again Alice swiped her finger into the glass to catch more of the liquid. She put her finger back in her mouth, enjoying the taste, and was about to take a seat when the door slammed shut behind her. She spun instead, her finger still in her mouth, feeling all at once like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Hatter stared at her, eyes going over her quickly and with a thoroughness that made her blush. "What are you up to?" he asked, looking at her sidelong as he locked the door. She quickly jerked her finger from her mouth and looked to the side.

"Nothing," Alice answered and Hatter's dark eyebrows furrowed suspiciously. He noticed the glass she was holding and she heard him give a strange groan.

"Oh no…no no no," he repeated lowly, striding over to her and yanking the glass away from her. Turning it over in his hand, he eyed Alice again while sniffing at the empty vial. His nostrils flared a bit as he caught the familiar scent and his eyes narrowed at Alice, accusing her with just a look.

"What?" she asked, backing away from him and glaring back at him.

"How much of this did you drink?" he demanded and Alice shrugged, testing his patience in that one gesture. "How much, Alice!"

His shout made her jump and point to the red sticky liquid now staining a small part of the grass. "It spilt."

"Thank the gods for that," he said, obviously relieved and not terribly upset about her emptying such a valuable 'tea' onto the grass.

"So…just a few drops," Alice admitted and he stiffened again. Tossing the glass onto the ground, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close. The proximity was alarming enough and she squirmed against the hold. "Let me go!"

Hatter sniffed at her breath and his face pulled into a frown when he recognized the faint smell on her breath. Being this close let him see the deep red on her lips as well, showing that it had likely been more than just one drop. "How many drops?"

"I don't normally count drops," Alice answered and he groaned, letting her go and putting his hand to his forehead.

"You should have counted them."

"It was too sweet anyway," she said, lying through her teeth. "What was it?"

"Some of our older product," Hatter stated, going by her and taking a seat on his chair. He put his head in hands and leaned over, shaking his head back and forth. "I think you were given a cocktail. Which mixes emotions so that it takes you on a bit of a ride. Damn it, Alice, you should have counted the drops!"

"What?" Alice sputtered. "I'm drugged?"

Hatter nodded, head still in his hands.

"You drugged me!" she yelled and he looked up.

"It's not like I gave you that tea!" he shouted back, though his voice lacked any real heat. "No one told you to drink it!"

"What else was I to do?" Alice shouted and Hatter gave her an exasperated look that spoke volumes. Alice looked away from him and ran a hand through her hair, thinking it over. Taking in a long slow breath, she released it in a hard sigh and then turned to look at him.

"Okay, it's no one's fault really. Curiosity killed the cat and whatever. What's in this 'cocktail'?" she demanded and Hatter shrugged.

"Might not be that bad…but if I know our servers, they only give away the ones that are guaranteed a bit of an addiction. You don't tend to want just one drop of it, which is what makes it such a good sales product," he paused to look at her face and winced at what he saw. "Judging by the way your eyes are startin' to dilate, I'm guessing it was what we call the Hanker mix. Which is a tiny dram of anticipation, a bit of satisfaction and excitement, and a whole lot of…well…"

"A lot of what?" Alice asked, her voice taking on a dangerous edge. Hatter stood and made his way over behind his desk, hoping to protect himself with the distance. Her voice raised to almost shrewish screech, "Of what, Hatter?"

"Need? Desire? Hankerin'? I ain't sure what you Oysters call it. Anyway, the point of the mix is that it lowers your inhibitions so that you can go after whatever you need the most," he offered weakly." And in your case and judging by all that unreleased tension you've got... what you need is obviously..."

He didn't dare to finish that sentence when he saw the look on her face. He instantly knew that if he finished his explanation she may just throw something at him for suggesting she was 'repressed'.

"What?" she squeaked before managing a dry laugh. "Very funny. Let me guess: this is where I go bananas and have my way with you."

"Oysters turn into bananas?" Hatter asked in amusement and she stormed over to him, poking his chest with a hard finger.

"This isn't funny!" she snapped. He stopped smiling and stared stonily back at her, all humour gone from his expression. Alice took a deep breath. "What's the cure?"

"There's no cure for Emotions, Alice. Considering the mix and how much you took, I wager it is a few hours worth of an emotional ride. You just have to wait it out," Hatter answered. She stared up at him and shook her head. Hatter made a small face and pointedly looked her up and down, seeing the signs of its effects already. "I mean, the only other option is…"

"Don't you even say it," she ordered before taking a deep breath, trying to keep that image from her mind. It had already been a bit of a struggle to ignore the way this man - who was completely not and never would be her type- was affecting her. She really didn't want to picture him doing…anything to her, because that was not where her imagination was going to go. At least, she hoped it wasn't going to go there. "Ok. Wait it out…I can do that. Just need to mediate and do some deep breathing." She turned on Hatter when he went to speak. "Don't you dare come near me either! You said you'd help me find a way to get Jack out but I don't need your help for anything else."

Hatter shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Alice made sure he was going back to his desk, watching as he tossed off his coat and loosened his tie a bit before sitting with a flourish. Still eyeing him suspiciously, she made her way over to the small white sofa and plunked down. Hatter watched her warily, fidgeting with his pen and papers before he lowered his head to his work. He was going to ignore her, Hatter decided, because that was the best thing to do in this situation. Hopefully this wouldn't take long but there was no way he was going to risk her in the open drugged like this. He'd have to wait it out and pray that Dodo was a bit slow in getting his Resistance ready to hunt him down.

* * *

The first half hour was the easiest for Alice as she reclined on the small couch, her legs hanging over the one arm and her head tipped back. Hatter had been about to chastise her for sitting so carelessly on his furniture but at a look from her he promptly remembered that she'd likely rip into him for that. He kept to his research on who he knew in the White Rabbit, though he had one eye on the security feed and on the girl fidgeting on his couch. It really was only a matter of time before they were found and he had to plan a good route of escape. The girl might irritate him, but he owed her for saving his face from Dodo's brutal beating. Not that he was about to tell her that; Hatter preferred his style of not needing people and it was going to stay that way.

It was how he had been able to keep his head for so long.

On the couch, though, Alice was finally realizing what he had meant by riding out the emotional wave.

Having stripped out of her leggings and boots in an effort to get comfortable, Alice found some relief in the cool material of the couch. But not much; it still felt like it was overheating her internally to move even the slightest inch. Alice shut her eyes, trying to ignore the shift in her senses. It was a strange thing to experience anticipation at its rawest form. Her stomach had filled with nervous butterflies and her heart pounded in a way that made her breathing hitch now and then. Her skin was tingling and though she had removed her leggings, her bare legs still felt too hot.

Alice could feel almost every inch of her skin beginning to feel hotter and she pressed her face against the cool leather of the couch, evening out her breathing. She had done all of her meditation exercises and nothing, absolutely nothing, was working._ Maybe if I could just get some sleep_, Alice thought, _I can just bypass this slow build-up that's happening_. Twisting her fingers into a nervous knot, she breathed in and out deeply but promptly regretted that when she felt the change from anticipation to sensitive desire.

"Oh God," she whispered and put her hand to her face._ Oh this was terrible, _she decided.

"Alice? You al'right?" Hatter's voice was almost too loud, even from the distance, and Alice groaned.

"Don't talk so loud," she snapped and opened her eyes to see him standing beside her. He tipped his head on the side and frowned.

"You look awful," he commented, taking in the grey pallor of her skin and the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. This was unlike anything he had seen. Normally this sort of cocktail went through the system faster and didn't stay more than thirty minutes. Looking at the set of her jaw, he recognized the determination in her face and Hatter sighed in exasperation. "You're fightin' it, and that makes it worse."

"Well, the alternative isn't exactly something I want to experience," Alice answered, her body's treacherous nature almost punishing her for the lie when she felt the sensitivity course strongly through her system. It made her skin so sensitive to the touch that the rasp of the leather couch was almost too terrible to bear and she tried to keep herself from moving. It was hard though; her body demanded she move.

"You've got a fever?" Hatter asked her, reaching out slowly. Alice watched his hand come toward her, wanting to flinch away but feeling too drained to do much about it. Hatter's hand brushed her forehead, the gesture to test her temperature and feel the cold sweat that was beading along her hairline, but it irritated her almost to breaking point. Alice rolled away from his hand, burying her face against the back of the couch and trying to will the heat in her stomach to dissipate. She had never felt this out of control and the sensation was terrifying for her. Already she could feel tears of frustration welling in her eyes and she sniffled, the sound muffled by the couch.

Hatter crouched down beside her head, concerned by the change. Was this what happened when Oysters were exposed to Emotion Cocktails? It was definitely taking a long time. "You all right?" he asked again, touching Alice's shoulder gently.

"No," she ground out, the tone of her voice pained.

"Need anything?" he offered weakly, not sure how he could help.

"Cold shower," she mumbled into the couch so that he could barely hear her. Every sense in her body was pointing out tiny details about this man she had hoped to never notice. The burr of his accent, the faint spicy cologne he wore, the way his hand felt rough yet reassuring, the warmth of him pulling at her. _Focus, Alice!_ she thought to herself,_ this isn't like you at all. You're here to find Jack, who's someone you could fall in love with if you actually wanted to. Someone you accidentally got into trouble. Remember that? You aren't here for this!_

"That'd be worse for you. Skin is sensitive?" he asked and when Alice nodded he clucked his tongue. "You'd think it help, but from what I guess, it'd be torture. Too much stimulation on your skin."

Alice cracked her eye open and peeked at him. "You've never had this?"

"Not this one, no. Never had the need," he answered. He stated it as a fact, without any arrogance, and for some reason that did not comfort Alice.

Instead, it sent a fresh flush of heat to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the temperature. Hatter stepped away from her, rubbing at the back of his neck .

"Just try to get some sleep, Alice. Maybe that will work. Either way, we have to leave soon," Hatter warned. He walked back to his desk, intent on getting back to his notes, when he noticed that Alice was remarkably silent. _Bliss,_ he thought sarcastically. It was her own fault that she had taken that drug and she seemed to expect him to explain it to death.

Not that he didn't enjoy seeing her just a little bit out of control. She had appeared rigid and unbending the moment they met but her stubbornness was obviously a cover for something deeper. Hatter didn't care to find out what that was because he didn't think she'd ever trust him enough to tell him. Despite his determination not to care, he was having a hard time watching her like this.

Hatter wasn't exactly a monk and he knew an attractive woman when he saw one. Just a matter of not noticing it when she was doped up on a Desire cocktail. Even he had a conscience... though it was a bit of grey area for him.

Hatter grabbed a glass out from his shelf and began to fill it with water from his decanter, deciding to be courteous. It was important for her keep hydrated, at least until the drugs wore off. Turning on his heel abruptly, he almost accidentally splashed Alice since she was standing so close to him that he could feel the heat radiating from her body. Without wearing those heavy boots of hers, she had been able to sneak up behind him and her eyes were bright and glassy.

But beneath the glassiness, there was still the sharp feistiness and fierce determination he had been able to see from the moment they met. Then, it had been due to her missing boyfriend and negotiating with the Dodo. Now, the determination was directed at him and Hatter was feeling distinctly uncomfortable with that sort of focus.

"What's the cure?" she demanded huskily as she put her hand on his arm. Hatter cleared his throat and tried not to notice how her hand was smoothing down his arm in gentle strokes.

_Oh sweet Wonderland, I am in trouble, _he thought.

"Well... you won't like it. I don't have the ingredients for the liquid cure anymore; they're out of development. So...you should wait it out," Hatter tried and she shook her head. She was actually going more grey and her breathing was fast. She looked close to passing out from pain and Hatter was worried. He could tell that she was naturally a proud woman and this was hard for her to do. As detached as he could be, seeing her like this tugged at the sympathy he often buried down under a dispassionate mask.

"So the other cure is whatever I need to, what I hanker after... you were going to say sex earlier, weren't you? A way of losing control," Alice asked and Hatter nodded. "Oh God."

"That's why I didn't suggest it. Without your boyfriend around, that ain't such a good choice," Hatter explained gently. Con man though he was, he prided himself on not being so much of a lech as the others.

"Probably not." She ran her other hand through her hair and abruptly made for the door.

"Where are you goin'?" Hatter asked as he cautiously followed her.

"I have to get out of here, because I'm actually thinking that trying to run this off is not such a bad idea," Alice whispered. She had almost made it to the door when Hatter grabbed her arm and whirled her about. The contact made her whimper but he didn't dare let her go as he walked her back to the desk. She likely would run off if he did and he couldn't risk that. Alice pulled on her arm and he had to hold her tighter to keep her from breaking free.

"Now that would be a bad idea. You go out there, pepped up on that Tea and you'll be found out fast. You're practically radiatin'...it, and you won't care what happens so long as you don't feel the pain of fightin' it off," Hatter answered truthfully. Alice was taking deep breaths, the effect pushing her chest up and down against his. Hatter's eyes half-closed, trying to ignore the feel of it when her body was so close to his. It was doing him no good; try as he might, he was not that good of a man.

And he didn't need a Tea to get him ready to cave in to her unspoken need.

"Then you can help me," Alice whispered, her fingers curling against the front of his shirt.

"Oh that is definitely not a good idea, Alice. Very bad idea." He said and she leaned up. Alice's lips brushed over his and Hatter jerked his head back to avoid the contact. " 'Cause that won't end well. You'll be angry with me after and I'll get a bit of shame goin' on. Bad combination."

"I know... but it hurts," she whimpered and actually backed away like his words had wounded her, wrapping her arm around her waist. Hatter stared at her, knowing that her body's demands were actually starting to hurt her. What he wouldn't give to have some Satisfaction left over but he had used the rest of that up well over a week ago. The pain on her features was deepening and Hatter's guilt was growing with each shudder she gave. It was his fault she was in this position and made him feel like he most definitely not worthy of winning her trust.

Reaching out, he squeezed her shoulder gently.

"Okay, Alice." He sighed. Never once had he ever so conflicted about giving in to a woman's demands. Yes, had she been without the Tea he would have already been shucking off his trousers and throwing her on the ground eagerly if she asked him. Never mind that she exasperated him beyond good reason, infuriated him even. Despite that, she was strangely beautiful in her stubborn way and he would have been more than ready to pour their growing tension into actual sex. But she was on the Tea and he didn't like the thought of using that to his advantage.

She met his eyes, the glassy blue of hers desperate and Hatter's guilt increased. "Thank you," she whispered, watching as he moved to the other side of his desk.

He shut his eyes. "I'm going to the bottom of the Lake for this," he muttered to himself, trying hard to ignore the fact that if Alice snapped out of this he would likely be thrown out the window. He had seen her take care of Dodo after all.

Going to his shelf, he ran his shaking hand across the smooth wood and cupped it around a glass vial. Behind him he could hear Alice moving nervously around, and without turning he could imagine the shift of her blue dress along her hips as she tried to ease the itch it caused on her skin. Trying hard to ignore the sound of her moving, Hatter dipped his finger into the vial and eyed the precious drops that collected on his skin.

"Bottom of the Lake...here I come," he muttered and licked the lemony drops clean off his finger. Being from Wonderland, they hit him hard and he could have sworn he felt his eyes dilate in their sockets. He hadn't taken this particular drug in several weeks and he had to steady himself for a moment as the room swam in his vision. Then, his head cleared and with it went his remaining resolve to try to do the decent thing.

"Look," Alice said, her voice wobbling slightly as she approached him. "You don't have..."

Her hand went to his arm, her grip weak but still hard enough that he felt it through his layers of clothing.

"Damn, why did you have to do that?" he growled as he turned toward her. All he caught was a glimpse of her glassy blue eyes before he yanked her into his arms and planted his mouth onto hers in a fierce kiss that clicked their teeth together. She squeaked at the contact before wrapping her hands in his shirt collar and hauling him close, pressing herself so tightly that he felt every curve in her body. As her body fitted against his, Alice tangled her tongue with his and moaned up into his mouth hungrily. It was one of the most seductive things he had ever felt and Hatter broke the kiss, shocked at its intensity. His lips actually stung from when she had mistakenly bitten him and he could see how swollen her own lips were already.

The shock lasted for a moment though. The raging heat in her body pulled at him and his body responded, his cock hardening to the point of hurting.

"Right then," he murmured against her mouth, fingers traipsing over the hem of her blue dress and then clenching the back of her thighs tightly. He was sure that he was going to leave bruises on her pale skin and for the moment he didn't care. Something flared in him to imprint himself on her, to make it so that she couldn't forget this, even when she reunited with that boyfriend of hers. Hatter's jealousy almost interrupted the flood of desire raising through his body, the change in his feelings so intense that he almost broke away from her. The idea of stopping was pushed from his mind when Alice let one hand drift down to his trousers and pulled impatiently on his belt. Alice shifted against him, her hips grinding into his front impatiently and Hatter bent at his knees. She gave another moan that vibrated from her mouth to his when he picked her up. Her thighs clenched tightly on either side of his hips before he deposited her with a bang onto one of the low cabinets against the wall.

"This isn't right," Alice whispered as she broke away from his kiss, contradicting her words when her hands went to the buttons of his shirt.

"Not in the least. I don't like you very much," he agreed and Alice nodded.

"I don't think I like you either," she said and his fingers slid from her hem to the edge of her knee.

"You're bossy, a know it all," Hatter grumbled, listing his reasons why he shouldn't be interested in her as a way of controlling his lusts.

"You're arrogant and rude," she responded and felt his fingers tighten on her knee as he pulled her more snugly against his waist. Her fingers made nimble work of his shirt and Alice wrenched open his shirt for him. She quickly loosened and tossed off his tie while he tossed the shirt to the side, the feel of the clothing irritating to both of them. The franticness of her movements didn't ease until she laid her hands on his chest. All Alice could feel was the relief that his skin felt wonderful under her fingers, as if touching him was enough to ease her body's mindless ache. Hatter's eyes shut half-way as her fingers stroked down his chest in slow circles, shuddering at the sudden gentleness of her touch. It was bewildering to be touched like this. Recreational sex in Wonderland was either Tea-induced or quick jaunts between friends.

This was far more intense than he had been prepared for.

He vaguely remembered that she had just insulted him and he caught her one hand in his, holding her playful fingers away from his chest. "So you're sayin' that you don't want me and can handle this on your own, eh?" he asked and stepped back as if to actually leave.

She mewed softly and pressed closer still, her hips fitting so perfectly against his that they both moaned at the contact. "Please," she whispered, leaning up towards him. Hatter turned his head slightly on the side so that his mouth brushed hers and he felt her give a shaky sigh against his lips.

"Aren't you polite?" he teased, still clinging to the one sliver of self-control he had left. He was a nice enough guy, in Hatter's own opinion, but he was also the guy she had been irritating for the past few hours. He just couldn't resist doing it, especially when he saw the glint of fire in her eyes. He didn't want Alice to be mindless about this; he wanted that fiery spirit in her and wanted to see how deep that fire ran in her.

Reaching up, she knocked his hat off of his head and then tangled her fingers into his already wild hair. She tugged and he winced, having to stoop to follow the tight grip in his hair as she brought him down to eye level with her. He met her eyes, now a dark midnight blue with her lust, and felt his stomach clench up.

"What," she was speaking slowly, emphasizing each word meaningfully, "will it take for you to just fuck me?"

Hatter stared at her, effectively stunned. When her breasts brushed up against his chest and he felt her hard nipples even through the fabric of her dress, he regained a bit of his equilibrium. "Ask me nicely, Oyster."

He dropped his head and began to nibble at her neck, feeling her swallow hard when his tongue flicked against her skin.

"Please..." She sucked in a breath, her body arching against his.

"Please...?" he stalled against the skin of her neck, his tongue drawing a circle around her pulse.

"God I could hate you right now," Alice ground out and he chuckled breathily before nipping at her earlobe. "Just...do something, please..."

Hatter could almost feel the heat radiating from her and knew that he was likely pushing it too far. He wanted to tease her but he didn't want her in actual pain. "Well, since you asked me so nicely, darlin'," he muttered as he pulled her in tighter so that she had to wrap her legs even tighter around his waist.

She barely managed a squeak when he clutched her close and turned on his heel. Alice's dark hair swung around them, brushing over his face, and he pressed her back against the desk this time. She started to protest the rough treatment but he quickly slammed his mouth down onto hers, his lips forcefully opening hers so that his tongue muffled her cry. He wasn't gentle, his grip so tight that it almost hurt, but she couldn't find it in her to complain. Alice moaned deep in her throat, wanting to devour him as badly as he wanted to devour her in that moment, and threw her arms around his shoulders. Hatter reached down and his hands lifted the hem of her dress before he clutched hold of her buttocks. Boosting her up in his arms, he sat her back down on top of his desk. He shoved a few papers and books out of the way so that all she felt was the cold glass under her skin and it was a strange relief after such extreme heat.

She only had a split second of respite before Hatter's fingers dug into her thighs and hauled her forward, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist again. She could feel every inch of his throbbing erection against her and she moaned eagerly, finding a small release just by the way he ground up against her. His mouth felt wonderful... everything felt so wonderful and her body almost felt ready to orgasm just from relief.

It was on her tongue to thank Hatter but it was clear that this wasn't the time. His hands were pulling her dress up and over her head, throwing it in a crumpled heap the moment it cleared her head. Alice had a moment to feel self-conscious over her near nudity, knowing that her plain set of underwear did nothing for her. Yet when she looked at him, she could see that Hatter was staring at her intensely, as if she wore the sexiest thing possible.

"Take it off." He said it almost desperately and Alice quickly unclipped her bra and flung it onto her dress. Knowing she had no other choice, she simply leaned back on her elbows and proudly thrust her breasts forward. Hatter couldn't step away if he wanted to, her legs were wrapped so tightly around his waist, but his eyes were travelling over her pale skin. When Alice saw his eyes linger on her breasts, she felt them tighten up until her nipples almost hurt they ached so much.

"Touch me," she whispered and felt his hand travel from her thigh up her belly. He caressed the flat plane of her stomach, watching each goose-bump that appeared at his touch.

Hatter couldn't remember ever touching such a reactive woman and when he cupped her breast he circled her nipple with his thumb. Watching her squirm did marvels for his ego and unable to resist, he lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

The reaction he got nearly had him plunging into her instantly. Alice arched up, crying out and clutching hold of his head with her hands. She held him as steady as she could, feeling his tongue swipe wetly against her skin in moist hot circles. Her stomach clenched when he switched to her other, more neglected nipple and repeated the action over and over again.

It was several intoxicating minutes before Hatter lifted his head to kiss her again, satisfied that she was wriggling for him now and not purely because of some drug in her system. Every moan was imprinting into his mind, as was every throb he felt coming from between her legs. He didn't think that he wanted to forget this but he was more than ready to forget why it was happening. He hadn't felt like this in a very long time and never without the help of a Tea.

Alice slid her tongue against his, parrying her tongue against his and longing to tell him just what she wanted him to do to her. But he kept her mouth occupied with his kiss, and her head spun from a lack of oxygen while her body screamed at her to never break the contact. They were unconsciously rocking against one another now, each grind moving her harder and harder against his groin so that the rough material of his trousers irritated her even through her panties.

As if sensing her desperation, he unwrapped her legs from around his waist with one hand. Alice struggled for only a moment before she felt his hand pulling at the waistband of her panties.

"Up," he said lowly after breaking the kiss, his lips just resting against hers. Alice lifted her hips obligingly and put her legs to one side to help him. She felt him slide her panties all the way down the length of her legs, his hand caressing the soft skin of her legs as it went. Once the panties were past her toes and on the floor Alice slid her legs to either side of his hips and pulled him in close again. Hatter resisted her attempts to kiss him but instead put his hand on the flat of her stomach and pushed hard so that she went back with a bit of a bang.

"Down," Hatter ordered tersely and Alice dropped her head with a faint growl, giving into his demand willingly. He loomed over her, one hand braced over her head on the desk, and Alice stared up at him. He was keeping her from being able to kiss or touch him and it both excited and irritated her.

"I don't like when people order me around," she snapped half-heartedly as she listened to the jingle of his belt. The sound of her heavy breathing was matched by his but the rasp of his zipper was even louder when he lowered it.

"Get used to it," he drawled arrogantly and she opened her mouth to argue when she suddenly felt him thrust into her willing warmth. It jolted her enough that she cried out, clutching at his shoulders before he dropped his head onto her neck.

"Gods," he moaned out against her neck and silently Alice agreed with him. She was so slick and warm that the feel of him inside her was incredible. He wasn't even moving and she was ready to orgasm just because of the feel of him.

Alice moaned, the sound vibrating through her chest and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The desk creaked under their joined weight, the glass no longer cold but hot beneath her bare back. Hatter lifted his head and looked at her, clearly trying to see if she was okay.

"Ready when you are," Alice breathed out teasingly. Hatter arched a brow and gave her a wicked grin. It made her entire body throb just to see that grin; the sort of grin that told her he knew exactly what she wanted. That was something she was thankful for; Alice was in no mood to go instructing him into how she wanted him to make love to her.

She frowned. That was not what this was. This was fucking and not even honest fucking at that. Not love making.

_ Wasn't it?_

"Just making sure you can hold on, little Oyster," Hatter said, giving a hard thrust to punctuate his words and distracting her from her thoughts. She accidentally hiccuped as he slid deeper inside of her, his cock pushing her limits in just that simple movement.

"Just fuck me, Hatter, and quit the talking," she ordered and he chuckled.

"Yes, that's an excellent plan," Hatter agreed and settled his weight on top of her more fully. Alice accepted him willingly, pushing her hips up at his impatiently. Hatter was chuckling still, amused by her eagerness and his fingers gripped her hip tightly. He guided her hips up to meet his thrusts and Alice closed her eyes blissfully, the intense mix of relief and tension in her momentarily confusing.

In her foggy mind, she thought that this was wrong but just how wrong she didn't know. She had asked him for this, even when he had told her she could try to resist it. He had resisted her but Alice knew if she had gone through much more she might not have forgiven him for putting her through such pain. It was a bit of a conundrum, she guessed, and one she didn't want to think about for a while. Not when he touching her like this.

Hatter lifted her enough that her clit was squashed between their pelvises and a sharp pleasure disrupted her confusion. All she wanted was release and he would help her, she knew it. It was all she wanted him to do; she didn't want soft touches, hours of foreplay. Everything had boiled down to one conclusion and he was following through with it wonderfully.

Their stomachs locked together as Alice moved under him a bit, her cheek pressing against the glass desk to try to relieve the intense heat in her body. They were both so slick with sweat that they were sliding on-top of the desk easily and she was having a hard time gripping him as tightly as she wished. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she groaned and arched her back. Hatter's head bent and he nipped and kissed at her earlobe, yet it seemed that that was all he could do. His thrusts were becoming more disjointed and uneven, the lack of rhythm pushing Alice closer and closer to the edge of something she wasn't quite ready for.

The build-up inside of her was gathering strength and for a second she was actually frightened of it. She could feel him moving deeper and harder inside of her, his other hand braced over her head and holding onto the desk edge. Alice knew he wasn't going to hurt her yet she was hurling towards something intense, she could feel it. Her womb was already doing mini-contractions and each one made her give a sob of pure pleasure and fear.

"Oh no," she whispered, not sure if she wanted this to end or not. Not sure if she liked out out of control she felt.

"Oh yes," Hatter answered, sensing her fear. He had also found a way to keep her relatively speechless and he was not about to give that up. Understanding his unspoken smugness, Alice had to chuckle then, clenching her legs tighter around his waist and shoving her hips up in counter rhythm to his. Hatter groaned an unintelligible curse and reached down with a hand to slide it between their bodies. His fingers suddenly pinched at her clit, sending a course of painful pleasure through her body and Alice did something no man had made her do in a very long time.

She screamed.

Hatter did it over and over again, feel her climax rushing through her body as each contraction inside her drew on his own cock hungrily. In a state of never-ending orgasm, Alice was whimpering with each movement of his fingers and hips, tears of pleasure sliding down her cheeks. Hatter licked them from her skin and then couldn't take it any longer when he realized she hadn't stopped coming yet. Yanking her hips hard into his body, he pulled her so tightly against him that Alice's breath escaped her in a rush and he felt her gasp in surprise. Her nails raked down his back, hard enough to actually hurt and he groaned, unable to stop as he came inside of her. He didn't stop moving his hips even when he felt drained, Alice's body demanding that he not stop.

It was a bit of relief when he felt her cry out one final time, a weak cry compared to her first scream, and her hips dropped from his. Hatter felt so weak by then that he simply collapsed onto her body, his face buried against her soaking wet hair. Alice embraced him close, her breathing so shaky and rapid that he thought she was hyperventilating. Then, as if willing herself to calm down, Alice exhaled slowly and seemed to try to slow down her raging heartbeat. But Hatter could feel each beat of her heart against his chest, knowing that his own was beating just as strongly, and he smiled against her neck.

"Well," Alice whispered and her hands smoothed down his hair and neck. "That was..."

Hatter winced, waiting for her return to reason. Waiting for her throw him off of her and scream at him for taking advantage.

"Incredible," Alice finished and he lifted his head. Staring into her eyes, Hatter could see no sign of any actual anger. Or of the drugged emotions either.

"You're gonna have to wait, I can't move far, sorry," Hatter admitted and she chuckled, the action brightening up her expression.

"Me either. Do all emotions feel like that?" she asked and he took in the healthy glow to her skin. The greyness was gone, as was the glassy look to her eyes.

"Truthfully?" Hatter debated on lying to her but doubted he could articulate a good enough lie. "Not normally."

Alice stared back at him and he could see the question in her eyes but he knew he couldn't answer that question. The question of why it had been so intense between them. He shifted up from her body but her thighs clenched around his hips, giving him a warning squeeze. Hatter stared down at her in surprise.

"Just where are you going?" she asked and he stilled. Having no answer, he just shrugged and watched as she propped herself up on an elbow. She cocked her head on the side and flicked her eyes over his body. "What was it that you took?" she asked and Hatter cleared his throat. The look she was giving him was enough to make him aroused all over again, and since he was still buried deep within her, that wasn't difficult to do.

"Took a different cocktail to act as some protection. And to clear up any guilt I'd have until it was over."

He seemed remarkably vulnerable that Alice decided not to question him further.

"How long do we have till Dodo's men show up do you think?" she asked and Hatter looked at her warily.

"What do you mean?" He watched as she chewed on her lower lip and slowly, ever so slowly, looked up up and down. The meaning was clear and he arched his brow. "You can't still have that drug in your system. Should be out by now."

"Mm, that's true," Alice agreed as she pushed herself up and then put her hands on his bare shoulders. Tracing them down the lean lines of his chest, she looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes. "But I think we should be sure, don't you?"

Hatter's eyes darted to his security feed and saw that it was still dead outside.

"That might be the smartest thing you've said all day," he said lowly. Alice opened her mouth to argue and he quickly lowered his head, his lips covering hers. She chuckled against his mouth and he kissed her, deciding that moments of clarity and sense could wait just a few more times. Moments when they remembered just why and who she was here for could wait.

For now. she was his and he was going to make sure she knew it.

* * *

_Author's Note: I started writing this ages ago just after I saw the series and only got to a certain point before I'd chicken out and stop. Then, after T&C, I finally got a chance to sit down and see that many people had the same idea that I had, (resulting in some HOT fics, I must agree) so I sucked it up and finished it. It was what slowed the latest chapter of WC&G down. I need to get this out._

_Merry Christmas!_


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